Though this is an all-inclusive music site featuring artists from all over the globe, Faronheit is officially Chicago-based, and as such from time to time it’s nice to send a little love out to the locals and others who might be visiting our fair city. There are a couple of quality shows coming through town over the next couple of weeks that I’d like to take a moment to mention in case you or someone you know might like to check them out.
First up is Springtime Carnivore, who will be at Lincoln Hall opening for The Dodos on Friday, March 6th. While they are technically a full band when performing live, Springtime Carnivore is actually the new solo project from Greta Morgan, best known for her roles in Chicago bands like The Hush Sound and Gold Motel. Her self-titled debut album came out last November, and it’s a delightful collection of ’60s inspired psych-pop. Morgan pretty much recorded the entire thing on her own and played every instrument except bass, which really fits in with the DIY approach of a lot of noteworthy artists are gaining exposure from these days. Check out the tracks “Name on a Matchbook” and “Sun Went Black” below to get a better feel for the album’s warm and fuzzy atmosphere. These songs should come to life in impressive fashion on stage thanks to a couple of touring members, and the crowd will no doubt be packed with locals eager to see how their once local superstar is doing with this ambitious new direction. The show is 18+ and starts at 10PM. Tickets are $15.
While we’re on the topic of Chicagoans past and present playing hometown shows, local folk hero Ryley Walker will be returning to town on Monday, March 9th as part of his tour with Kevin Morby (of Woods/The Babies). Walker will be releasing his new album Primrose Green on March 31st, and this show will provide a great chance to hear a good number of those songs a few weeks in advance. It’s his first record for Dead Oceans, and marks yet another remarkable step forward for him since shifting into a more folk-inspired direction over the course of the last couple of years. He’s taken a lot of the guitar techniques displayed during his experimental/noise rock period and smartly twisted them into jazz-prog flourishes via acoustic guitar. As such, Walker is able to embody the pastoral sounds of Tim Buckley and Bert Jansch while also showing Chicago roots thanks to small detours that’d sound at home in the Sea & Cake or Tortoise catalogs. Check out the songs “Primrose Green” and “Sweet Satisfaction” and you’ll hopefully hear what I mean. He’s worth checking out live too, and it’s probably best to do it now before he really starts to blow up. The show is 21+ and starts at 8PM. Tickets are $13.
